HIKING

The Waterfalls on Cold Stream
in the West Central Adirondacks

by Bill Ingersoll

Photo by Bill Ingersoll Lower Falls on Cold Stream.

North of Piseco Lake rises a large plateau of mountains, lakes and streams. At the heart of this plateau lies T Lake, over 800 feet higher in elevation than Piseco. The outlet of T Lake flows gently across the top of this plateau until it begins to near the edge. It then encounters one lovely waterfall at the head of a long vly, and several more on the way to the spectacular 300-foot drop at T Lake Falls. The outlet of Twin Lakes also has a small waterfall, where that stream flows abruptly off the plateau. And so might several other streams that have yet to be explored. Of all the waterfalls in the area, however, only the two on Cold Stream can rival those on T Lake's outlet – not in size, but in configuration and overall beauty.

Cold Stream's waterfalls are not named or shown on any maps, and therefore not many people know of them. It is a wonder that they have escaped notice for so long, since someone once built a logging road and a camp in their vicinity. Today, hunters maintain that faint old road as a footpath, and anyone who has set off on the Northville-Placid Trail north from Piseco has walked right by it. The falls are readily accessible, yet few people wander up that way. That is probably why they remain unspoiled today.

There are no markers, blazes, or signs leading the way, so this hike will test your route finding abilities. And since the path does not lead directly to the falls you will have to bushwhack a short distance to find them. But if you succeed you will certainly want to come back, perhaps to visit the falls in each of the other seasons.

The path starts at the Northville-Placid (N-P) trailhead north of the Piseco Airport. To find it, drive north from NY Route 8 on Old Piseco Road for 2.2 miles to Haskell Road, a right turn. At 0.7 mile there is a parking turnout to the right, just before a bridge. Begin walking here, following the N-P Trail to the right of a residence and as far as the registration booth.

The N-P Trail continues straight ahead, and the path used to veer left from it at the register. Blowdown has obscured the start, and you now have to walk another 150 feet down the N-P Trail and cut left to circumvent the blowdown and find the path. Once found, the route angles north and west to avoid a corner of private land, and it merges with another path coming off of the private parcel near the yellow corner post. Note this fork in the trail for when you return. There are a number of landmarks, including the corner post, two other metal posts, and several paint blazes, to mark the turn.

The path passes through a beautiful mixed hemlock/spruce stand, and then fords a small stream. At 0.7 mile it swings very close to a wide bend on Cold Stream – a nice spot to stop and rest. This will be the only view of the stream from the path for some distance. All too soon the path pulls away from the bank, and eventually approaches the base of a large hill. Just before this major uphill portion begins, you cross a second small stream.

You climb appreciably, but gently, as you follow up the side of the hill higher into the valley. There are three more small streams to cross that are often dry in summer, and after an hour (1.9 miles) of walking you reach a height-of-land on a shoulder of the hill. If you have been counting the streams you have had to cross, you will find that the sixth is a small stream that flows from right to left soon after the height-of-land.

The path then descends slightly to cross a larger stream 200 yards further, this one with a tiny beaver meadow visible downstream to the left. Both of these streams lead directly to a bend on Cold Stream not far above the lower waterfall, and either will guide you to the falls. The second one is easier to identify, but the first passes through a more open forest and is easier to walk along. This cascade is nearly 80 feet tall, divided into three distinct drops. At the base of the falls the water fans out across a vertical rock wall.

High water, of course, is the best time to view a waterfall, but the bottom part of Cold Stream falls is beautiful no matter the season. During drier times it is easier to move about the rocks and cross the stream for better views, as well as to search for potholes. Downstream you will find other flumes and small cascades to explore.

To find the upper waterfall, return to the path and cross the two tributary streams. The larger one may be an obstacle in early spring. The path cuts straight through a muddy area, and then angles left up a hill. Look for a sharp turn to the right soon after, and from here on the path will remain out of sight and to the north of Cold Stream, as it continues to climb along the side of a hill.

If Cold Stream is running high, you may be able to hear the upper waterfall from the path. In this case, you can follow this sound directly to the falls. Note, though, that there are few reliable landmarks in this maple forest, and there will be no easy way to find your way back to the path.

If you are not comfortable navigating off trail, or if you cannot hear the falls, continue on the path for about 15 minutes beyond the stream crossing. Here you pass a small clearing on the left where there was once a camp. This marks the best place to begin the easier bushwhack downstream to the upper falls. From this point down to the cascade, the stream flows over a solid mass of bedrock. The upper falls are 40 feet tall and are most scenic in high water.

Beyond the site of the camp, the path crosses Cold Stream below the Deer Pond meadows and winds into the woods to the southwest. Its course suggests that it once led all the way to T Lake. However, the route eventually becomes so faint it becomes impossible to detect. Certain bushwhackers may want to meet this challenge and press on to the lake and its lean-to, and this would be a wonderful way to get there.

Bill Ingersoll (hikerbill30@msn.com) has joined Barbara McMartin (adirbarb@telenet.net) in revising the Discover guide series (Lake View Press) and is now co-author of several books. This description will be added to the next edition of the Discover the West Central when it is revised.

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